


And the Star of Cairo

by PyreWrites



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Librarians Fic Week, potential season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PyreWrites/pseuds/PyreWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The LITs have an appointment to keep involving a cursed jewel, a missing former Librarian and a dime store pulp novel that doesn't actually exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unusual Appointment

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second entry into the LIBRARIANS FIC WEEK. Inspired by a picture Lindy posted last week of her Cassie look for the day. This will be interesting as the rest of this one is going to be outside of my usual genres. Why I picked this to lead off with I don't know.
> 
> I might roll this into a potential season 2 series one I start on my next multi-chapter work (and come up with a name for my season 2).

"The men were all so handsome, dressed in tailored suits. And the women were all so beautiful. The hair, and the make-up, and the _clothes_."

Cassandra had been regaling a very obviously bored Ezekiel Jones with tales of the Film Noir Retrospective that she and Stone had gone to the night before.

"And the dresses that the singers in the night clubs wore. There was always a beautiful woman that was a singer in a night club. The dresses were simply _amazing._ So elegant, and so sleek, and so sexy, and so slinky, like the dress Colonel Baird wore at Buckingham Palace, but even... _more_." Cassandra continued. Oblivious to Jones' disinterest in the subject so far.

Eve noticed Stone wince slightly at the mention of that mission. The time when Cassandra Cillian had betrayed them. The one and only time.

_Enough already Stone._ Eve thought. _You have already forgiven her. I just wish you would figure it out already._

Fortunately the redhead was far to engrossed in her story to notice. And Stone slipped back into his enjoyment of Ezekiel's inability to escape so quickly, if Eve hadn't been looking at him, she might have missed it too.

"And the singer was _always_ involved somehow. Her life was in danger if she didn't help someone steal some precious artifact, or help get it back, or she was the mastermind behind the entire thing and she was playing the role of the damsel in distress to keep tabs on everyone." Jones perked up at the mention of crime. "Oh it was all so lovely."

"You'd be surprised how well that whole playing the victim thing actually works." Jones offered, to a round of looks. "Not that _I_ have ever done that, mind you. The whole elaborate scheming thing isn't my style."

"We know." Stone grumbled.

"I prefer to be a one man show. Skill versus technology." Jones continued as if Stone hadn't spoken. "And occasionally my athletic and gymnastic prowess versus some out of shape rent-a-cop."

Jones winked at Cassandra. She giggled and rolled her eyes.

Eve watched Stone grin at the sound and his entire body relax for a moment.

"Everything was just so beautiful." Cassandra sighed as she spun around, dancing to music only she heard. "Colonel Baird, you and Flynn should come with us. They are still showing movies the next few nights. Jake and I are going back tonight. They are doing a Humphrey Bogart night. The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and Dead Reckoning. And tomorrow night is going to be Alfred Hitchcock. I can't wait."

Eve had noticed months ago that Cassandra only called Stone 'Jake' when she was very happy or _very_ annoyed with him. Both times she was too distracted by the cowboy to remember the air of professionalism she tried to put on around the others and call him Stone like they did.

"I'll ask him." Eve said. "In fact he should be back any time now. If he isn't here by the time we get back from lunch I'll call him."

"That would be perfect. Thank you." Cassandra said with a smile. "Wait, lunch?"

"Yeah, darlin'." Jake said. His smile just a little brighter when he said darlin', Eve noticed. "It's almost noon. You've been talkin' Jones' ear off for over two hours."

Cassandra's eyes widened as she spun to look at the clock.

"Oh my goodness." She gasped. "I didn't mean…I thought…I wasn't trying…I…"

Stone chuckled as he crossed the room.

"Cassie, it's fine." He said as he put his arm around her shoulders. "You got excited. We all know your folks didn't really let you watch movies and everything. Nobody is gonna cut you off from being so adorable just because he might be bored or something. _Right, Jones?"_

"Right." Jones said holding up his hands in surrender before Cassandra turned to look at him. "Wasn't bored at all. Besides Red, you're cute when you get going like that."

"It's been a slow morning anyway." Stone said motioning to the clippings book that had been inactive the last two days since Flynn had left. "Now let's go get something to eat and you can keep telling Jones all about the movies we saw last night."

Ezekiel scowled at Stones retreating back. Eve simply chuckled as she gathered her things.

 

* * *

 

As it turned out 'any time now' was precisely fifteen minutes after the LITs left the Annex. Eve's phone chirped as a text message arrived.

"Flynn's home," She said as she typed out her reply. "I'll tell him where we are and he should be here in a few minutes."

"Yay!" Cassandra cheered. "We can invite him to the movies and he can tell us all about his latest mission."

"Just as long as it wasn't another auction." Jones muttered. "I don't think I could handle the excitement."

"And if he goes over budget one more time he's gonna be a dead man." Stone chuckled.

 

* * *

 

"Well there were no time traveling ninjas this time, so it was pretty easy." Flynn said just after their food arrived.

"Wait. _Time traveling_ ninjas?" Stone said staring at Flynn. "I've done ninjas, but you've gotta be pullin' my leg."

"That's a thing?" Jones asked. "When did that become a thing? More importantly when did that become a thing we have to worry about?"

"Yes they are real." Flynn said. "And the first time I encountered them was about six months after I got the job. So to answer your question Ezekiel, it's been a thing we have to worry about for at least ten years at this point. I never did get around to checking the files to see how many times Librarians have had to deal with time traveling ninjas in general though. But strictly speaking based on the particular fighting style they employed they were not technically ninjas. Ninjas of course being traced back to-"

"Flynn, honey." Eve cut him off. "Shut up a second before Cassandra explodes."

"What?" Flynn shouted in a sudden panic. "Did she get zapped by something. We need to get back to the Annex right aw-"

"Flynn!" Eve cut him off again. "Not literally. She's just excited."

"Oooooooh." Flynn said sheepishly. "Cassandra, apparently there is something you'd like to tell me?"

"Yes!" Cassandra nearly bounced out of her chair. "Jake and I went to a Film Noir Retrospective last night. It is running the rest of the week and I invited Colonel Baird and you to join me and Jake. She said she would check with you. But since you are here I'm inviting you in person."

"That's sounds absolutely delightful, Cassandra." Flynn said with a smile.

"Great! They are running three movies a night so it starts at six." Cassandra said as she subconsciously leaned slightly towards Stone.

"Perfect." Flynn jotted down the time in his notebook. "So as I was saying, the artifact in question was up for auction."

Ezekiel groaned into a mouthful of fries.

 

* * *

 

"Which is why the nomadic tribes of northern-" Flynn was interrupted by the ding from the elevator to the main Library.

Jenkins stepped out of the elevator reading a file. He glanced up at the commotion of the the group entering the main room of the Annex.

"Ah, perfect timing, for once." Jenkins said as he went back to scanning the file. "The Appointment Book went off while you were at lunch. There was a notation indicating this file would be needed."

"So what's up?" Jones asked from the back of the group, munching on a to-go order of fries.

"Something rather unusual." Jenkins replied.

"How unusual?" Flynn asked.

"The file details a gemstone called the Star of Cairo. As the name implies it is of Egyptian origin. It has been known by many names throughout its history including The Star of the Unified Kingdoms and The Eye of the Empire. The name was changed the The Star of Cairo in the late 12th Century after Cairo was established as the capitol of Egypt, and has remained so until modern times. The Star is alleged to possess magical abilities granting its owner great powers, none of which are verified in this file. It is also reportedly cursed. Most notably a string of unexplained disappearances."

"So far this sounds like another day at the office to me." Stone said.

"Well Mr. Stone, as you may or may not know, during the 1930s as the Nazi party was coming to power in Germany, Adolf Hitler and a small faction of his most trusted men scoured the planet searching for 'occult' artifacts."

"Yeah, I'd heard the stories." Stone nodded.

"Well, what most people are not aware of is the fact that they found a great number of these artifacts. Many of them turned out to be fakes or stories that had gained mythological status over the centuries." Jenkins said.

"So they ended up with a bunch of junk?" Jones chimed in, through a mouthful of fries.

"Yes Mr. Jones. And please do not spray crumbs all over my Annex. I don't want to get ants."

" _Our_ Annex, mate." Ezekiel corrected.

"Yes, well. The Nazis did manage to acquire a small number of legitimate, and very powerful, artifacts along with all the 'junk', as Mr. Jones put it."

"Like the Spear of Destiny fragment." Flynn added.

"And the Ark of the Covenant?" Jones asked.

"No. The Nazis were never able to locate the Ark, as it was already safe in the Library. That only happened on the silver screen."

"Bummer. I was hopin' some of those goose steppin' idiots really did get melted." Jones pouted. Both at the fact that the Indiana Jones movies were not, in fact, a documentary and that he had run out of fries.

"As I was saying. The Nazis were searching the globe for anything that they thought might aid them in their cause. And as indicated in this file The Star of Cairo was on their list. The notes indicate that in 1936 the Librarian was dispatched to retrieve the Star before it could fall into the wrong hands. However, the Librarian, a Mr. Culpepper, vanished as many others had over the centuries."

"As fascinatin' as the history lesson is, this still sounds like pretty standard Library stuff. When do we get to the 'rather unusual' part?" Stone said.

"I was just about to get to that part, if you would all stop interrupting."

Stone help up his hands and took a step back. He nearly tripped over Cassandra, who had been standing at his shoulder the entire time.

"Thank you. In 1936, when Mr. Culpepper disappeared so did the Star. It is at this point in the file that the handwriting changed, I can only assume that one of the other employees of the Library who do not engage in field work, much like myself and Charlene, wished to complete the file as much as possible for future Librarians. The disappearance of The Star of Cairo, in itself is not noteworthy. It had been stolen and sold on the black market into private collections repeatedly over the centuries. This time, however, in addition to the disappearances of Mr. Culpepper and the Star, there was an unexplained appearance." Jenkins slid a paperback novel out of the accordion file he had been holding under one arm. "This dime store pulp novel was found in place of the jewel inside it's display case. The book is entitled "The Case of the Star of Cairo" and by all records of every publishing company on earth, this book does not exist."

"Ok then. That falls fully into the realm of 'rather unusual'." Flynn said.

"As I said." Jenkins replied.

"Any indication why this appointment was set for today?" Eve asked. "This all happened almost 80 years ago. Why now?"

"That I do not know, Colonel Baird." Jenkins said. "The notation only had todays date, the location of the original disappearance of both Mr. Culpepper and the jewel, and the file number for this file."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Flynn said gathering up the entire file and stuffing it into his bag. "Dial up the Back Door and let's go check this out."

"Flynn?" Cassandra asked. "Can I take a look at the book? There might be some sort of clue in there as to what is going on. And it sounds a lot like the movies Jake and I watched last night."

"I don't see why not." Flynn said fishing the paperback out of his bag. "You can use your photographic memory on this and I will use mine on the notes in the file. Deal?"

"Deal." Cassandra said with a smile. Taking the book from Flynn with one hand and sealing the deal with a handshake with the other.

As Jenkins began setting the coordinates on the globe that controlled the Back Door Cassandra began to read. The rest of the team stepped up to the door. Eve noticed, not for the first time, that Stone took his place a half step behind Cassandra. As the Back Door swung open Stone put one hand on the redheads back and guided her towards the door so she could continue reading.

As the five of them stepped through the door there was a deafening boom. Then everything went black.

 


	2. Eight Sugars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve comes to alone. Or is she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's about half as long as chapter one. But given that I tend to be a cliffhangering bastard, I'm gonna leave it there.
> 
> Also given that 'It's not tomorrow yet if I'm still awake'. I am counting this as my LIBRARIANS FIC WEEK post for day 3. (those are my rules and I'm stickin to em)

A pained groan escaped Eve's lips as she regained consciousness.

_What the hell was that? It sounded like thunder. Did the Annex get struck by lightning?_

She tried to sit up, but decided better of it when a wave of dizziness washed over her. She chose to open her eyes instead, and was greeted by a blur of grey.

_Did_ we _get struck by lightning on the other side of the door? It looks awfully overcast. …I think. No. Not outside. This feels like linoleum tile on the floor._

Slowly shapes started to form in her vision. Once she could make out something that looked like a table or a desk to her right she reached out to try to sit up again. She levered herself up despite another dizzy spell. She closed her eyes, leaning against the desk until it passed. When she finally opened her eyes again, they had nearly regained their focus.

She was sitting on the floor of a small office. There were two doors to the room. One she assumed was front door because she could see, but not make out, letters painted on the other side of the frosted glass. The other door most likely led to another office or offices. Eve realized she was not wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when they left the Annex a few minutes (or hours?) ago. She was in a dress, that looked to be more Cassandra's style, and heels that she had never seen before. But the one detail that had captured nearly all of her attention disturbed her greatly. The room and everything in it, including herself, was black and white.

_Is that even possible?_ She thought as she checked the back of her skull for lumps. _Can color blindness just happen? I bet Flynn would know. Flynn! Crap!_

Her eyes shot around the room. There was no sign of anyone else. She pulled herself to her feet and began inspecting the room as quickly as she could manage on still unsteady legs. There was a purse on the desk. Nothing out of the ordinary was in it. The wallet, on the other hand, was a bit unusual. No ID, no credit cards, not a single piece of identifying information in it. Not even any photographs. The desk was equally unhelpful.

_This black and white thing is really distracting. I keep expecting Ricky to burst into the room shouting 'Lucy, you got some splainin to do!'_

 

* * *

 

Eve had grown up a military brat. Some people over the years had confessed their jealousy at her 'getting to see the world'. But the thing she had stopped trying to explain years ago was that she didn't 'see the world'. Military bases were a lot like airports and malls. If you've seen one, you've seen em all. And that was just about all she ever saw. As far as she was concerned the only thing that ever changed was the number of tv channels she had to pick from after school. She had spent an entire year on one base in who-knows-where-istan where the only channels that were in english ran nothing but old black and white tv shows. I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, Donna Reed, The Honeymooners, early seasons of Bewitched and Gilligan's Island before they went to color. She had seen them all more times than she could count.

 

* * *

 

She made her way over to the filing cabinets. She flipped through a few of the files and realized she must be in a Private Detectives office. The files were all the usual fare for a P.I., cheating spouses, maids pocketing the silver, and the like. As she was looking through the fifth file, still looking for anything that would tell her more about where she was, her eyes finally fully focused.

"What the hell?" She said to the silent room. She quickly looked back at the files she had already inspected. "How are these all in _my_ handwriting? What the hell is going on here?"

She stuffed the files back in the drawer and slammed it shut.

"Evie? That you knockin' 'round out there?" A groggy voice came from the inner office. "I musta had a few too many and fell asleep at my desk again. Be a doll and bring me some coffee."

"Right away Boss." A voice answered.

Eve looked around, instantly on the defensive.

_Wait. That was_ my _voice. I didn't say that. What is going on?_

At that moment she was assaulted by memories flooding into her brain. She was Evelynn 'Evie' Baird. She worked as a secretary, in this office, for a Private Detective. That was her desk and her purse she had just been searching through.

As she began sifting through all these new memories that were hers, but not hers, her body had walked over to the corner of the office and started making coffee for the disembodied voice of her 'Boss' in the next room.

_Black, with eight sugars? Who drinks coffee like that? Wait, how do I even know that?_

"What the hell is going on?" Eve said as her hands faltered in their auto-piloted task.

"You say somethin' doll?" Came the voice again.

"No, Boss." Evie answered.

_Oh, this is going to get old_ real _fast. Guess I might as well play along. Might figure out where I am and what's happening. Seems like 'she' isn't really in that much control._

Before she entered the inner office to meet her 'new' boss she stopped at her desk to find something she could use as a weapon. There was no gun in her desk or her purse. She finally settled on a letter opener, which she slid up her sleeve.

Eve crossed over to the door. She paused, with her hand on the knob.

_I can handle whatever is on the other side of this door. I'm a trained NATO Counter Terrorism agent and a Guardian. It can't get any weirder than it already is._

She was wrong.

She slowly opened the door. Eyes scanning the room that was as generic as her outer office.

"Boss?" Eve said trying her best to sound like Evie. "I've got your coffee."

"That's great, doll." The voice said. Eve heard rattling that sounded like pills in a glass bottle. She assumed they were probably aspirin.

Her eyes continued to inspect every detail of the room as the door swung open, until they fell on the man sitting behind the desk.

Eve nearly dropped the cup of coffee.

 


	3. Sure thing Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve comes face to face with Evie's boss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment for the LIBRARIANS FIC WEEK. Enjoy.

 

He had at least three days worth of stubble on his face, his eyes were presumably bloodshot based on how obvious (but still grey) the blood vessels in his eyes were, and he was wearing a white button up shirt that looked like it had never even been in the same room as an iron. But Evie's boss was unmistakably Jacob Stone.

"Oh thank god. Stone. What the hell is going on? Where are we?" She said as she rushed across the small office.

"I told you already Evie. I drank a bit too much and fell asleep at my desk." He replied looking at the empty bottle on his desk before tossing it in the trash. "And what do you mean where are we? We're in the office, just like every other day. Where else would we be? You feelin' alright sweetheart?"

"Oh shit."

"If we had any respectable clients, or any clients at all right now, I'd tell you to watch your language missy."

Eve wasn't really listening because more memories were filling her mind. She had worked for Jacob Stone P.I. for 8 years. Him getting drunk and sleeping here in the office happened often enough that he had several changes of clothes, a pillow, and a blanket in the closet. The pillow and blanket had been Evie's idea. She brought them in one day a few months after she got the job and tucked them into the closet with the rest of his things without telling him. She was the one to pull them out of the closet and cover his sleeping form on the couch in his office far more often than he ever had.

While Eve was distracted watching someone else's memories play before her eyes, Evie had handed Stone his coffee and was straightening up the office.

"Remind me to get some more bourbon and another bottle of aspirin." Stone said as he shook the last four tablets into his hand.

"Sure thing Boss." Evie said over her shoulder.

_Would you knock that off!_ Eve shouted inside her head.

She stormed over to Stone, grabbed him by his shirt, and slapped him. Hard.

"Snap out of it!" She shouted. "I need to figure out what the hell is going on! Where the hell we are! And why everything is black and white!"

Stone fell over backwards in shock at the assault from his secretary.

"Are you sure I was the one that was drinking, doll?" He said as he climbed to his feet. "Because you sound like the one that should be waking up face down on her desk."

"Dammit Stone." Eve grumbled as she strode out of his office. "Maybe Cassandra, Flynn, or even Jones will be more helpful."

She dumped her purse out on her desk. She quickly searched through the few things that fell out, and then the pockets inside the purse.

"Where the hell is my cell phone?" She said as she started pulling open desk drawers.

"Your phone is that black thing sitting on your desk, doll. The one with the receiver and the numbers on the dial." Stone's voice came from behind her.

"Not funny Stone." She said as she glared at him.

Stone stood in the doorway to his office. Rubbing where Eve had slapped him, with a look of obvious concern on his face.

"Is everything alright Evie?" Stone asked cautiously. "You're a bit hysterical."

"Hysterical? You haven't even begun to see hysterical!" Eve shouted. "I am supposed to be the Guardian! I'm supposed to be watching out for the four of you! Now I can't find my phone! I can't find my gun! I have no idea where I am! I have no idea where the others are! You have no idea who you are! You probably don't even know what the freaking Library is!"

"The library? Of course I know what the library is. What do you take me for? Some kind of simpleton?"

"You remember the Library?" Eve eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course I do. The Professor works there."

"Professor?"

"He consulted on that forgery case a couple month back? Seems to know just about everything about everything? You met him? At the main branch of the Public Library downtown? Are you sure everything is alright?"

"NO! EVERYTHING IS NOT ALRIGHT!" Eve screamed as she flopped down into her chair. "God I just want to punch something."

Stone set a cup of coffee on the desk in front of Eve.

"Evie, what's going on?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you because you aren't you for some reason."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm not supposed to be the one that figures this junk out. I'm supposed to be the one that kicks ass.

At that moment the front door of the office flew open. Eve was on her feet with the letter opener out of her sleeve and in her hand in an instant.

"Evie!" Stone shouted when she saw the weapon in her hand. He grabbed her wrist and spun her around. "Easy. It's just Zeke. You know he never learned to knock. Or enter a place of business like a civilized human being."

Stone shot a glare over Eve's shoulder at the intruder.

"Easy mate. Just bringin' a special delivery. Some bird paid me five dollars to get this to you as soon as possible."

Eve slowly turned back around at the sound of the familiar accent. On the other side of her desk, wearing a beat up shirt that might once have been white, suspenders, and a newsboy cap stood Ezekiel Jones. He was holding an envelope and smiling like he had just won the lottery.

"Five bucks?" Eve said staring at the kid. "That tears it. It musta hit you too. The Jones I know wouldn't be this excited about playing mailman for any less than a hundred."

"A hundred!" Jones gaped. "That's more than I make in three months!"

_Months? That doesn't make any sense. Unless…Flynn was talking about time traveling at lunch. Did we go back in time? But that doesn't explain why these two aren't themselves. Or "Evie" for that matter. Or the black and white thing. Which I have gotten used to way too fast for my liking._

"Whatever." Eve said to Jones. "Who sent the note?"

"Couldn't say. She was in the back of some big fancy car. All I saw was a gloved hand out the window and a voice asking for a paper. She slipped me this," Jones waved the envelope. "And the five spot when I handed her the paper. Seemed like she didn't want her driver to see it."

Eve snatched the envelope out of Jones' hand. It had Stone's name on the front in a smooth flowing script that seemed familiar. Eve opened it and slipped out the contents. It was a short note written in the same hand.

 

_Mr. Stone,_

_I need your help. My life is in danger. I can pay._

_Meet me at The Pharaoh Club tonight at 11 pm._

 

The note was unsigned.

"Looks like we have a client, _Boss_." Eve said as she handed him the note. "You should shave. This Pharaoh Club sounds like it's probably kinda fancy."

"It is." Stone said looking up from the note. "Used to be a green door. It was and still is owned by Big Jimmy C."

"Green Door? What the hell is a green door?" Eve asked.

"A speakeasy." Stone said looking at Eve concerned again. "You know that Evie. You've lived in Chicago since '26 and worked for me since '28. We've been in more speakeasies than I can count. Till the Twenty-First was passed in '33. Are you sure you are feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Eve waved off his concerns. "And I assume this Big Jimmy is a gangster, right?"

"Yes. You know that too."

"Wait. You said I started working here in 1928?" Eve asked.

"Yes. Are you sure you haven't been drinking today?"

_That means it's 1936. The same year the jewel and the Librarian vanished. Dammit, it is time travel._

"No, I haven't been drinking." Eve replied. "An unsigned note asking to meet you in a club owned by a gangster sounds like a trap. I'm going with you. And Jone- Zeke, stay where I can find you. If I figure out what is going on we might need to leave in a hurry."

"Are you askin' me on a date Evie?" Jones asked with a smile.

"No." Eve deadpanned. "Just do it."

"I gotta get back down to the newsstand anyway." Jones said sounding a bit dejected as he turned to leave.

"And you," Eve said as she turned to face Stone. "Need to get cleaned up if we are going to keep this appointment."

"Will do, doll. But I think we need to have a chat about which one of us is the Boss around here." Stone said with a chuckle. "And you should go easy on the kid. He gets us more gossip from the street than anybody else we ever talk to. He's almost part of the team. But don't tell him I said that."

Eve rolled her eyes as she sat down at her desk. She had to try to remember where Evie lived.

_There is no way I'm going to a 30s gangster owned nightclub in this._

 

 

 


	4. My Name In Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve gets to know Evie a bit better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little on the short side. But it felt like a good time to find out a bit more about Evie that wasn't flashbacks filling Eve's head in the middle of a conversation. Might be a familiar face or two in here from elsewhere too. Enjoy.

Eve was going to meet Stone back at the office at 10 pm. They had agreed to go to the club together in Stone's car.

The rest of the afternoon had been uneventful. Eve played the part of Evie as best as she could. Fetching coffee, filing papers, straightening up Stone's office.

Once she finally clocked out, Eve left the office and wandered for several minutes not having the slightest clue where Evie lived. She spent the time lost in thought. Trying to figure out what had happened to Stone and Jones, where Flynn and Cassandra could possibly be, and why she had someone else's memories slowly filling her head. Eve didn't notice that Evie had walked home until she was putting the keys in her apartment door.

_Well that one worked in my favor at least._

As she inspected the apartment she discovered that Eve and Evie weren't as different as she had first assumed. Minimal food in the kitchen, Evie ate at a diner down the street nearly every night, her memories informed Eve. No pictures of family or friends, Evie really didn't have much of either. The apartment was sparsely furnished, Evie spent most of her time at work or the diner.

She made her way into the bedroom to look for something more fitting of a night on the town to wear. As she perused the closet she discovered that Evie had good taste as well. If Eve hadn't chosen a life where nearly all her clothing emphasized function over fashion, she would have picked nearly everything in this closet for herself.

She came across a decent number of evening gowns. A few in white, a few in black, and many in various shades in between that Eve assumed represented different colors if she could only see them. To be safe she settled on a simple but elegant black dress, with matching heels and a clutch.

With her outfit picked out Eve decided to take a short nap, then head to the diner before getting ready for the evening. It had been a very long confusing day and the rest of the night didn't seem to be shaping up to be any better.

 

* * *

 

Eve walked into the diner an hour and a half later. She let Evie do the walking while she scoured her memory of high school history for anything she could scrape together about 1930s gangland Chicago. She was not at all comfortable walking into tonight's meeting this unprepared.

"Hey Stretch, the usual?" Asked a brunette waitress, looking up from the coffee she was pouring.

"Hey Ang. Sounds good." Evie responded, walking to her usual table.

_I hope we share similar taste in food like we do in clothes and home furnishings._ Eve thought with a mental smirk.

Eve continued to try to prepare by digging through as many of Evie's memories as she had access to so far while she waited for her food.

"Earth to Stretch." the voice interrupted her thoughts.

Eve looked up to see her food in front of her and the brunette Evie had called Ang sitting across from her.

"Man, Stretch, you were a million miles away. What's up?"

"Huh? Oh nothing. Just preparing for a meeting tonight. It's got me a bit worried."

"Workin' another case with the boss?" Ang asked, a smile spreading across her face. "Sounds exciting."

"Not exactly the word I would use."

"Better than slingin' coffee and sandwiches. So what's going on tonight that's got you on edge?"

"Stone got an unsigned note asking for a meeting tonight at The Pharaoh Club. They claim their life is in danger."

"The Pharaoh? Big Jimmy's place? Yikes. I see why you're worried. Sounds like it could be a trap."

"That's what I said!"

"That why you're tagging along?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. Somebody needs to watch his back."

"I hear the girl that sings there is Big Jimmy's squeeze. Sings like an angel. Drop dead gorgeous too."

"Somehow I am not surprised." Eve said rolling her eyes. "So anything new with you?"

"Oh! I didn't tell you." Ang said bouncing in her seat. "I've decided I am going to move to New York. I'm going to be an actress. Going to start saving up starting with my next check."

"Really? Remind me to start tipping you better."

"Are you tryin' to get rid of me Stretch?" Ang said with a scowl.

"No! I didn't mean it like that. I was trying- I just wanted- I meant-"

The brunette burst out laughing.

"Calm down Evie. I'm just messin' with ya. I know what you meant and I appreciate it. I knew you'd be excited for me and supportive."

"Good. But that wasn't funny."

"It kinda was." Ang said with a wink. "One day my name will be up in lights. Angie, no Angela sounds better. More professional. One day you'll be driving down Broadway in New York and you'll see Angela Martinelli up on the marquee."

"I would make a special trip just to see that Ang. Might even convince Stone to come too."

"Aw thanks Stretch. That means a lot."

"Hey!" The man sitting at the counter shouted. "Who do I have to kill to get a refill around here?"

"Be right back. This jerk never tips anyway." Ang said slipping out of the booth.

"That scumbag."

"Don't worry. I sneeze on his food." Ang said winking again. Then she skipped back to the counter.

Eve tried not to laugh out loud.

_I like her. I see why Evie does too. Not entirely sure how much of that conversation was me and how much was Evie though._

 

"Got time for a slice of pie?" Ang asked a short time later as she was clearing Eve's plate away.

"I should probably get it to go." Eve answered after looking at the clock.

"So no a la mode then." Ang said from behind the counter.

"Yeah. Probably wouldn't survive the walk home." Eve said with a grin.

"And we can't have that." Ang said setting a small cardboard box on the table.

"No we can't." Eve said pulling out her wallet to pay.

"And Evie?" Ang said with a note of concern in her voice. "Keep your eyes open and your head down tonight."

"Yes ma'am." Eve said and snapped a salute and a wink.

Ang laughed.

"See ya for breakfast so you can let me know how it went?" Ang asked.

"It's a date." Eve replied as she opened the door and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be my last entry for LIBRARIANS FIC WEEK. I'm going to be busy all day saturday and probably won't be up for any writing after I get home from a full day at RenFest with my girl.
> 
> I'm gonna take my foot off the gas now that this week is over. Not gonna abandon this by any means. Just slow down to a slightly more sane pace. I know how it's going to end, but I want to see how they get there as much as you do.


	5. A Night On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Stone head to The Pharaoh Club for their mysterious appointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so annoyingly long to post. Things happened, stuff got in the way. But instead of getting into that I am going to blame it on Eve and say she really wanted to take a very VERY long shower before going back to work.

Eve wrapped a towel around herself as she stepped into Evie's bedroom with a cloud of steam billowing around her from the shower. She was going through Evie's dresser when she made a surprising, but not unwelcome, discovery. A snub nosed .38 revolver, a garter holster, and a full box of ammunition.

"Evie," Eve said to the empty room. "I owe you an apology. You aren't the doe-eyed farm girl I took you for when I first got here."

She felt a ripple of gratitude from the back of her mind.

"What the hell was that?"

There was no response.

_Crap. If she is 'waking up' I need to figure this mess out quickly. If I get lost then we will all be trapped here forever._

Eve hurried to get ready. She reluctantly let Evie's hands do her make up.

_This black and white thing is getting annoying. I really hope it wears off soon before I end up looking like a clown because I picked clashing colors of clothes and make up or something._

She finished getting dressed, loaded the pistol, and left for the office.

 

* * *

 

She walked into the office to find Stone and Ezekiel talking.

"Evie! You're…" Stone trailed off as he looked at his bare wrist. He extended his hand, palm up, towards Jones grumbling. "Dammit Zeke."

"Gotta keep nimble, mate." Ezekiel said as he produced Stone's watch.

"As I was sayin, you're right on time. I was just askin Zeke if he had heard anything that might be goin on at the Pharaoh Club. Don't want to go in blind if we can help it."

"Unfortunately Big Jimmy's crew has been laying low lately. They have even backed off of 'Knuckles' Moronie's boys. And those two crews have been fighting over turf almost non-stop for more than a year." Ezekiel said.

"Do I even want to know how he got the name Knuckles?" Eve asked.

"Rumor has it that he got the name when he was just starting out as a 'debt collector'. The story goes that when someone came up short he would tell them 'People only have two knees'." Ezekiel told her.

"Ouch. I can see how that would work." Eve said, shaking out one hand sympathetically. "But as far as tonight's meeting we are still completely in the dark?"

"Looks that way doll." Stone said.

"Great." Eve said rolling her eyes. "Guess we should get going then. Get there early so we can get the lay of the land before everything goes pear shaped."

"Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine," Ezekiel said.

"You try being an optimist walking into a gang owned night club for a meeting with who knows who with no idea why you are there," Eve snapped.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger." Ezekiel said holding his hands up.

"Why not?" Eve asked as a smile spread across her lips. "It might make me feel better."

Ezekiel's face noticeably paled.

"Ok. That's enough you two." Stone laughed. "We do have an appointment to keep."

"And that's my cue to get the heck out of here." Ezekiel said as he scurried for the door staying as far from Eve as he could in the small office.

Once the door closed and she heard footsteps rapidly retreating Eve burst out laughing.

"Oh that felt good." Eve said finally catching her breath.

"Damn Evie. That was evil, but very entertaining." Stone said, laughing along with her. "Lucky he was wearing dark pants."

The comment sent them both into another fit of laughter.

"You ready to go doll?" Stone said a few minutes later, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah." Eve said holding the stitch in her side. "But you really should have taken a few minutes to drag a razor over your face."

"Too late now." He said with a smile.

 

* * *

 

Half an hour later they walked into The Pharaoh Club. The walls were lined with columns that ran all the way to the vaulted ceiling. Based on the way they caught the light they were painted some metallic color. Gold, Eve assumed. They were also covered floor to ceiling in hieroglyphics. Between the columns were alternating murals of Egypt and statues of people with animals heads. A falcon, a crocodile, a woman with a cat head, a man with what looked like the head of a dachshund, and a number of others. She remembered just enough from school to recognize that the statues were Egyptian Gods, but she couldn't name a single one of them.

_So this is what passes for 'classy' in 1936? Back home this would fall somewhere between 'delightfully cheesy' and 'horribly tacky'._

"We should sit at the bar. Our mystery client will be able spot us easier if we aren't at a table and it won't look suspicious if they walk up to the bar." Eve said as she surveyed the room.

"Just what I was thinkin'." Stone replied. "So far I only count two of Big Jimmy's guys in here that are obviously packin'. One over at those stairs and one up on the balcony outside what I assume is Jimmy's office."

"It's still early. I doubt those two are the only ones here."

"Agreed."

They found a pair of open seats at the bar at the end furthest from the front door and Big Jimmy's balcony. It gave them the best vantage point to observe the room without being obvious about it.

"Bourbon, straight." Stone said to the bartender as he walked up to them.

"And for the lady?" The bartender said to Stone hardly glancing at Eve.

"The _lady_ will have a martini, dry, three olives." Eve said flatly.

Stone chuckled as the bartender walked away to get their drinks.

"Take it easy in the drinks tonight cowboy." Eve said as she turned back to the room. "Don't forget we are on the clock. This isn't just a night on the town."

"Maybe now would be a good time for that chat about which one of us is the boss." Stone chuckled.

Eve smirked as she picked up her drink.

They watched as the crowd filtered into the club over the next half hour. Not a single person spared them more than a glance. The band had been playing softly enough that people could talk since Eve and Stone had shown up. When they stopped there was a ripple of polite applause. Eve glanced at her watch noting it was 11 pm on the dot.

A man wearing a tux walked onto the stage carrying a microphone. Eve spotted a woman walk onto the stage behind the band.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to The Pharaoh Club."

Another round of applause.

"And now the reason you are all here."

Eve saw the woman step forward into the stage lights.

"The Siren of the Emerald Isle."

"A million dollars says I've found our mystery client." Eve said without looking at Stone.

"Put your hands together for Miss Cassandra Cillian!"

 


End file.
